A Platform of Knowledge.

The white minimalist interior of the Stuttgart Municipal Library in Germany.

It wasn’t too long ago when I discovered the secrets of Tumblr, and found out that there were many others like myself. Avid readers, book lovers, title hoarders, and page turners. Intellectuals who loved the smell of brand new books and sighed with pleasure the moment we set foot into a library or a bookstore.

It was then when I began following the accounts of those who shared the same interest with me when it came to reading.

It was then that I came to know about the existence of the Stuttgart Municipal Library in Germany. A vast, white minimalist designed tall block of a box that probably contained all the books in the world that I could possibly lay my grubby paws on.

Oh, paradise exists after all…

When Architecture Meets Engineering

In those days, it was either a church or a palace that marked the centre point of a town. But in a modern society, it is the significance of a place for intellectual knowledge and enrichment of experience that will take centre stage. This is the story of the Stuttgart Municipal Library and how it gained more and more significance for the German society.

The Stuttgart Municipal Library is an impressive feat of architectural and engineering design of a nine-storey block. A fool might say that it resembles a jailhouse prison from a horror movie, but bookworms around the world would rejoice and jump with glee at the sight of such wonders.

A Symbol of Significance

Located on the grassy molls of Mailänder Platz in Stuttgart, Germany, this new cultural and intellectual hub represents a new renaissance for the local area. The brain behind the design is a Korean architect by the name of Eun Young Yi, whose plans was to establish the library in Stuttgart as a new intellectual and cultural centre. Hence, in terms of urban development, it would only be right if the construction of the library was given a unique structure — a detached, monolithic building that would tower over the surrounding buildings. As a result, the privileged urban treatment of the municipal library became an explicit symbol of its special significance.

The brilliance of this uniquely-styled library is a visual beacon of within its environment which enhances its central character. In simple terms, the Stuttgart Municipal Library is the new heartbeat of the city.

The Power (of Reading) Within…

Above the four-storey core space is a stepped-five-storey, pyramid-shaped reading room which is surrounded by various study rooms along the facade, and lit by a glass ceiling above.

The library has been cleverly divided into separate areas which include the central foyer, a children’s section, a music section, study rooms, a graphotheque (a section of the library that is dedicated to all kinds of art), an administration office, and a cafe. These areas have been arranged over the nine floors as an outer ring along the well-lit facade, and are enclosed by an accessible roof terrace with views of the town.

The use of light within the library is so impressive, as electricity is not the only source of light. There is a large glass opening on the roof which allows natural light to enter and bathe the entire place in a white and pristine glow. Modern technologies have been implemented into the design, from touch screens to all books being RFID-tagged. With entrances on all four sides of the cube, everyone is welcomed to attend!

So, with a library that wowed the pants off me, how could one not fall in love with it? I did when I first laid my eyes on it, and I still do until this very day. I would love to visit this place at least once before I die. Sometimes I wonder, the place is so pristine and white on the inside, how do they keep it so spotless, though?

Heaven + Paradise = Fine Place! Why hasn’t anyone created a category of Seven Wonders of the World specifically for unique and exceptional libraries?